


The Soul Is in the Details

by Dragon_of_Dreams



Series: Linked Universe Gift Exchange 2020 [1]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Clothing and Makeup, Fluff, Gen, LU Valentine's Gift Exchange 2020, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-22 08:47:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22713370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragon_of_Dreams/pseuds/Dragon_of_Dreams
Summary: Time had noticed the details in the embroidery of Four's tunic. Such details tell a story.And they reveal much about a person too.
Relationships: Time & Hyrule & Four (Linked Universe)
Series: Linked Universe Gift Exchange 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1765594
Comments: 8
Kudos: 211





	The Soul Is in the Details

**Author's Note:**

> For Regina in the LU Discord Server. I hope you enjoy my gift.

It was a time of rest at the outskirts of Hateno Village. The Hero of Time found some solidarity under the apple tree at the back of Wild’s house, humming a special song from his childhood, calling back to the special days where he didn’t have to worry about his destiny and only play in the woods of his former home. He waited while the younger heroes were doing their errands, such as gathering ingredients for Wild and buying supplies for their next journey out in the wilderness. One such hero, however, stayed behind the house with Time, inspecting everyone’s swords and shields.

Time held out his eye on the shortest and perhaps the most peculiar hero in the group. The short hero, who called himself Four, claimed to name himself after the Four Sword (which also was a peculiarity of its own). The only clue bearing to the name was how his tunic was divided into four colors: violet, red, blue, and green. Divided into four equal parts of his tunic.

What caught Time’s attention was the embroidery held on each quarter of Four's tunic. It wasn't the Hero of Legend’s, whose embroidery ran on the edges of his red tunic. No. What caught Time's attention was how Four’s embroidery depicted symbols. And not just random symbols. There was a different symbol on each part of the tunic, swirled within the golds that danced like a flame.

Four had taken notice of Time’s staring. “What are you looking at? Do I look like I grew four heads or something?”

Time chuckled. “I was curious about your tunic, that’s all.”

“Oh? This?" Four stretched out his tunic and traced his finger through the golden lines. Time nodded. “This is something special from my first adventure. It’s a long story."

“Do tell. I have all the time in the world.”

“I guess we don’t call you Time for no reason, huh.”

“Neither we do with you, Four.”

Four hmph’ed. “Fair. I guess I have to explain.”

The short hero sat down in front of Time, crossing his legs and straightening his back, staring up at the much-taller hero. Four opened his mouth, about to start until another voice cut in.

“Mind if I join you guys?”

It was the traveler hero. He gave a soft, childish smile with a tremendous curiosity shining through his dark eyes. At Four’s nod, Hyrule sat down between them, forming a triangle among the three companions.

Four began to tell the story. He explained how the Four Sword originally came from the sky brought by the Picori (Four didn’t go into detail on what they were), and that the sword was originally named the Picori Blade after them. The blade kept the monsters at bay, sealing them inside a chest.

Until one day a wind mage arrived and broke the sword, releasing the monsters back into the world. With the Picori Blade broken, Four went out to gather the four elements: Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind. The same elements depicted within the tunic. When the Picori Blade was infused with the four elements, it became the Four Sword.

“That’s how it got its name,” Four finished, then he pointed out the elements in his tunic. “And that's why they’re important to me.”

Time nodded, with Hyrule following along. It made sense, how the origin of Four’s sword led to its name, but Time felt that there was much more to it that Four hadn’t told them….

“Time?” Hyrule asked, pointing at the symbols depicted on his armor. “I know that one represents the Triforce.” He pointed at the three golden triangles forming a much larger, single triangle with an upside-down gap in the middle. “But what about that moon? What does it represent?”

Time looked down at the golden crescent moon depicted on the right side of his breastplate. “This.” He pointed at the moon. “This is something powerful. One might say something as powerful as a fierce deity.”

* * *

_Power surged through his arms as he held the double-helix blade. Pupiless eyes stared at the void, yet faced that which lay in front of him._

_Emotions surged him like a wave. The raw, fierce emotions of the people from the world below awaited him in a strong, silver light that shone like the moon._

_He faced against the mask of a rainbow-colored heart, corrupted with spikes filled with malice. The mask embodied the sun, flaring up with the heat to burn down the world._

_And then he sliced it in half._

* * *

“Wow. That’s really cool, guys,” Hyrule said. “I wish I had something like that.”

“Now now, Hyrule,” Time said. “There’s the proud green of the hero’s tunic you’re wearing. It doesn't get any more special than that.”

Inwardly, he thought about the greens of the pasture in his home. The reds that awaited him, filled with a warmth that burned at his heart stronger than even the sun hoped to be. A smile rose from his lips.

“Time.” Four snapped him out of his thoughts. “What about those marks on your face? I’ll admit, I’ve been curious too.”

“This?” Time the red lines that ran through his right cheek, also drawing his mind on the blue mark on his forehead. “This holds as much importance as the moon. I’ll tell you when—Hyrule? What are you doing?”

The traveler picked up the dirt from the ground and smeared his face with it. It wasn’t until he noticed the shocked faces from the others that he froze. “Um... what? I like it.”

Time let out a big, hearty laugh. “You should have asked first. I believe Wild said he uses body paint for one of his outfits.”

* * *

The champion delivered somehow. It took a few hours with the help of his Zelda, but he created an assortment of different colors for the trio to play with in tiny wooden bowls. He also created something he called “eyeshadow,” something that Time could save for Malon for a very special occasion. “It will make her eyes stand out,” Wild had said.

But those deep sapphire orbs already stood out for him. And they captured his heart.

The trio gathered the items back to the apple tree. The only disappointment shown was from Hyrule forced to wash his face from the dirt. Still, the powder had captured his interest. The traveler took a small bowl that carried the green closest to his tunic as he sat back down. “How do you put it on?” he asked the eldest.

“Beats me. I don’t think it works like paint.”

Time looked over at the small hero. Four sat in front of the collection of paints, muttering with himself and reaching out to a color, quickly stopping himself and then reached out to another, only to stop again.

“Having trouble choosing, Four?”

“Hmm?” It took a second for Four to register Time’s words. “Oh, yes. There isn’t a color I can agree on.” He then noticed Hyrule’s predicament. “Do you need help with the eyeshadow? I can help.”

A huge grin appeared in the traveler’s face. “Please do!”

Four summoned a tiny brush in his hand. “Close your eyes and don’t move. It will feel funny at first.”

Hyrule obliged. Four began to work, talking about how he used to do it occasionally with his Zelda, whom he had been friends with since childhood. While he worked the green took form on the eyelids.

Once Four was done he told Hyrule to open his eyes. Wild was right, Time thought, how Hyrule’s brown eyes no longer blended with his tanned face, but instead stood out against the green, like little pathways leading into the woods.

Now Time tried to imagine how wonderful Malon would look with eyeshadow. How the green would look with her eyes. Or perhaps red, he thought, to match with her beautiful hair. He couldn’t wait to try it out with her.

“Time? How do I look?”

“Wonderful,” he replied, almost dismissively but he caught himself. “It looks wonderful,” he repeated, his voice now strong with meaning.

His lips curved to a smile as he watched Four lead Hyrule across the fence, towards the pond so that Hyrule could view his reflection. When the brunette saw himself he caught his face and let out a huge squeal, of a young boy who had gotten his first special present in his entire life.

“This is amazing!” he cried to Four. “What else can you do with it? Hmm. I know! I should just wear eyeshadow to match my tunics.”

“You got other tunics?” Four asked.

“Yup! A red one and a white one.”

Hyrule turned to Time and continued. “Hey, Old Man! How about you let Four put some on you? Especially with those marks on your face. I bet it’ll look great on your scar!”

Time let out a wholeheartedly laugh, but he rose his hand. “No, thank you.” He found it hard to resist the large grin forming on himself. “Maybe ask Four, he did want to try some paint earlier.”

“Well, about that…” Four looked away, avoiding the others’ glances. His cheeks reddened before he covered them with his hood. “My mind can’t seem to agree with anything. Can’t even decide a color.”

“Mind if I offer a suggestion?” Time said.

Four piqued, but still looked away. “Sure?”

“How about you grab the four colors matching your tunic?”

“Hah!” Four turned back to Time. “And what do you want me to do with it? Cover my entire face like my tunic?”

“You could have something simple like a line or a swirl of each color. Or how about this?” Time pointed at Four’s tunic. “You could have the four elements drawn on you.”

It was a moment of silence from the four-colored hero. Hyrule’s grin faded as he saw that the shorter hero didn’t speak. “Four?” He grabbed onto Four’s shoulder.

Four barely budged. Concern came over Time as Hyrule repeated Four’s name. The only response was his lips moving, muttering words that were too quiet for Time to hear. Hyrule too, as he asked to repeat what Four said.

“I’ve decided!” Four yelled, scaring off a yelping Hyrule off his back. “Oops.” Four turned around seeing that the traveler fell from the shock. Let out a sheepish grin, Four lifted Hyrule back up from the ground. “Let’s go back to Time.”

Time hadn’t shifted at all from the tree, still guarding the little bowls of paint and powder in front of him. He held a watchful eye on the two younger heroes, making sure they didn’t knock over the bowls as they hopped over the fence.

“So, Time?” Four sat down. His eyes sparkled as he looked up to the older hero. “I’ll take your suggestions. Think you can draw them for me?”

With a smile, he did. “Just close your eyes and don’t move,” he echoed Four’s words and the young hero obliged. “And Hyrule? Bring me a bowl of water and some cloth.”

Starting with green, Time drew a swirl, reminiscent of the swirl from the Kokiri Emerald. In its center Time drew the wind element, using Four’s tunic as a reference. The winds and the scents of the forest flooded him, bringing back the memories from his childhood.

“If you don’t mind, I might add a personal touch to them.”

Four smiled. “Of course.”

Hyrule came back with the water and cloth and lay them down next to time. After Time was done, he cleaned his finger up and selected the warm color of red next. Drawing the fire element below the green to match the tunic, Time felt the fiery warmth of the Goron people who used to sworn him as their Brother. The Goron Ruby shaped from the three triangles, two at the sides and one upside-down at the bottom of the element’s circle.

Hyrule had already sat down, watching Time as he continued with the other side of Four’s face, taking the blue of the Zora. The crescent facing down, holding onto the circular droplet of the water. Time added three more circles around it, calling back to the Zora’s Sapphire. The droplets now call like the gentle rain.

Lastly, there was the last element: the purple earth. The older hero took his time washing and cleaning his finger, pondering what he could add to the element as it held no resemblance to a Spiritual Stone in his time. The closest thing he had was the Shadow Medallion, but he didn’t like relating the dark shadows and secrets from the Shadow Temple into the grounded element.

In the end Time drew only the earth element below the water one, not adding any more details to its design.

“Hey, what about a golden eyeshadow to finish it off?”

“That’s a great idea, Hyrule.”

Time borrowed Four’s brush and cleaned it off from the green powder, replacing it with gold. Time added the gold to the eyelids, giving Four a glow of a heavenly light, just as the embroidery added life to the patches of his tunic.

“Hyrule, grab my mirror shield.”

“Your mir—wait, you had a _mirror_ this whole time?!”

“Neither of you asked.”

Four chuckled. “That’s true. I should’ve known.”

The traveler searched for the shield. It’s a miraculous sight to see that Hyrule hadn’t knocked over any of the bowls, or that he avoided knocking down the weapons and shields from Wild’s shed. Hyrule picked up the large mirror shield and gave it carefully to Time.

Time let out a relieved sigh. Holding out his shield towards the small hero. After Time instructed him to open eyes, Four sat still, staring at the mirror with widened eyes and a wide gaping mouth. He slid his hand through the mirror, his other hand barely hovering by his face, resisting the urge to touch it.

“H-how? This is amazing!”

“I’m glad to hear it didn’t disappoint.”

“Time? Four? Hyrule?”

Time recognized the voice of his protégé. Twilight appeared from the corner of the house. A big loving laugh escaped from the ranch hand as he saw the trio.

“Can’t wait for the others to see this,” Twilight said. “Wild has gone all out today. He said he’s also making a special dessert for dinner. Something called chocolate. A chocolate cake.”  
  
“Sweet!” Hyrule cried out.  
  
Time chuckled. “Indeed, that does sound really sweet."

The sun settled into the starry night sky as the trio covered and packed up the make-up. Hyrule kept some of the green, red, and white eyeshadow for himself. Four kept the four paints, but offered the gold eyeshadow to Time for Malon. “I think she’ll look beautiful in it,” Four remarked.

Time had to agree. The golden pasture of hay and the rays of the sun brought out the singing goddess that was Malon. The image gave him the will to keep fighting, to save the land of Hyrule so that Malon would be safe living her life.

And it was thanks to those two young boys who brought their strong spirits to light.


End file.
